This invention relates to derivatives of geldanamycin, pharmaceutically acceptable salts and prodrugs of said derivatives, processes for Their preparation and antitumor and oncogene product inhibiting compositions containing said derivatives, salts and prodrugs as the active ingredients.
Oncogene products are proteins generated by cancer genes and are involved in the transformation of normal cells into cancer cells.
Geldanamycin is an antibiotic whose preparation and users were described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,595,955 (incorporated herein by reference).
Co-pending U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 07/817,235, filed Jan. 6, 1992 and assigned to Pfizer Inc. describes fermentation processes for preparing 4,5-dihydrogeldanamycin and its 18,21-hydroquinone.
Other derivatives of geldanamycin, and their use as antitumor agents are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,989.